Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CLASSIFYING
TRAFFIC FLOW
Field of the Invention
[0002]
The present invention relates generally to measuring traffic flow. More
particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for
measuring the Volume
and Classification of vehicular and/or pedestrian traffic flow through a given
set of
coordinates in a given time period.
Background of the Invention
[0003] A
number of traffic monitoring systems exist that collect data related to
vehicle
motion through a location. These traditional approaches use pressure hoses,
piezoelectric
sensors, and induction coils to detect the passage of vehicles. These methods
typically have
low reliability, require calibration, and are difficult to install and
maintain. The detector is
physically laid out under or on the surface of the road resulting in high
operating costs and/or
risk to the installer as the sensor is laid across the road. Alternative
systems use radar or laser-
based sensors but are expensive and highly sensitive to environmental
conditions.
Furthermore, these sensors all have difficulty providing extensive information
about the
vehicles by providing only vehicle count, traffic speed, volume, and direction
of travel.
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[0004] United States Patent Application 2013/0278767 to Xerox Corporation
discloses
using a compressed video sequence obtained from a traffic camera for vehicle
counting. The
compressed video sequence is transmitted over a communication network. To
obtain
statistics about traffic flow of a certain highway or road, an algorithm
processes the
compressed data stream and counts vehicles.
[0005] Another tracking system produced by MioVision of Kitchener,
Ontario, Canada
uses a camera mounted above the intersection to capture images of the
intersection.
Processing of the video using a proprietary system counts and classifies the
vehicle, bike,
and pedestrian traffic,
[0006] Many municipalities use these aforementioned technologies; however,
due to
expense, the number of sites that may be monitored at any given time is
limited due to
equipment costs. The sensors cannot be moved readily to a new site if problems
are reported
whereas a more portable device may be quickly dispatched. As such,
municipalities
supplement these technologies using manual data collection processes which are
prone to
errors and cognitively difficult on the user at very busy intersections. It
can be very difficult
for a user to collect data and classify both vehicles and pedestrians from two
or more
directions.
[0007] In view of some of the problems recited above, there at least
exists a need for a
system and method for collecting data, including vehicle counts, and
classifying vehicles
and pedestrians where a user can more effectively and accurately record the
information.
Summary of the Invention
[0008] According to one aspect of this invention, a device for collecting
traffic data
comprising: a touch screen display; a computer readable medium; a processor
executing
instructions stored on said computer medium readable medium for: displaying on
the
touch screen display a representation of one or more roads; displaying on the
touch screen
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display at least one data collection button associated with each of the roads;
associating each
of the at least one data collecting buttons with an associated counter; the
touch screen
display detecting contact with the at least one data collection button and the
processor
incrementing the associated counter in response to the contact.
[00091 According to another aspect of the present invention, the traffic
data collecting
device further comprising the processor displaying an orientation indicator on
the touch
screen display. When the touch screen display detects contact with the
orientation indicator
in a region different from the original orientation, a new orientation is
selected.
Alternatively, touching the orientation indicator cycles the orientation
through the cardinal
directions. For example, a contact changes the orientation from North to East,
a subsequent
touch changes it from East to South, then from South to West, and finally back
to North. 4.
[00101 According to another aspect of the present invention, the traffic
data collecting
device further comprising an orientation sensor configured to report a current
orientation;
the processor processing the current orientation to determine a new
orientation; and updating
the orientation indicator. The orientation indicator may be updated during a
calibration
period.
[0011] Another aspect of the present invention, on an orientation change,
the processor
maps each counter with a different database field corresponding to the new
orientation.
Alternatively, another aspect of the present invention, on an orientation
change, the
processor associates each data collection button with a different counter
corresponding to
the new orientation,
[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, the traffic
data collecting
device further comprising the processor executing instructions to display at
least one
multiplier button on the display; the touch screen detecting contact with the
at least one
multiplier button and detecting contact with at least one data collection
button; the processor
adding the contacted data collection buttons to a multiplier list wherein
subsequent contacts
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with the contacted data collection buttons are multiplied by a multiplier
corresponding to the
at least one multiplier button.
100131 According to another aspect of the present invention, the traffic
data collecting
device further comprising the processor executing instructions to display a
multiplier reset
button; the touch screen detecting contact with the multiplier reset button;
whereby the
processor removes all data collection buttons from the multiplier list.
[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, the traffic
data collecting
device further comprising a transceiver automatically transmitting each
counter according to
a time interval. The time interval may be 5 minutes or 15 minutes or some
other interval.
The processor may reset each counter value on successful transmission by the
transceiver.
The processor executing instructions to display a send button; the touch
screen display
configured to detect contact with the send button initiating the transceiver
to transmit each
counter.
[0015] The traffic data collecting device further comprising the
processor executing
instructions to display a vehicle data collection screen and a pedestrian data
collection
screen.
[0016] Another aspect of the present invention may be a computer-
implemented method
for monitoring traffic on a portable device comprising: presenting on the
display or the
portable device, a representation of one or more roads; placing at least one
data collection
button proximate to each of the roads; each of the data collection buttons
being mapped to
an associated counter; incrementing said associated counter said corresponding
data
collection button is contacted; determining an orientation change of the
portable device;
remapping each data collection button from the originally mapped counter to a
different
counter based on the orientation of the portable device. In another aspect,
data is received
from the database residing on a server accessible over a network.
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[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, a traffic
data collecting
system comprising: a processor executing instructions from at least one memory
to a touch
screen display: an intersection; the intersection having a plurality roads
dividing a portion of
the display into sections; a set of data collection buttons within each
section and proximate
to one of the plurality of roads; the set of data collection buttons
comprising: at least one
data collection button for a left turn; at least one data collection button
for a right turn; at
least one data collection button for a straight direction; each of the data
collection buttons
having an associated counter; the touch screen display configured to detect
contact with one
of the data collection buttons and the processor configured to increment the
associated
counter in response to the contact; and a transceiver transmitting each
counter over a
network to a server whereby each counter is mapped to a database field in a
database; the
database field corresponding to an original orientation.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0018] An embodiment will now be described, by way of example only, with
reference
to the attached Figures, wherein:
[0019] Figure 1 shows a high-level architecture of a system for measuring
traffic flow
using a tablet device;
10020] Figure 2 shows an architecture of a tablet device that may be used
to implement
various parts of the invention;
[0021] Figure 3 shows an architecture of a offsite server computer system
that may be
used to implement various parts of the invention;
[0022] Figure 4 shows screen capture of a login screen of a traffic flow
monitoring
application;
[0023] Figures 5A and 5B show a layout diagram and screen capture of a
home screen
of the traffic flow monitoring application;
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[0024] Figure 6 show a screen capture of' a verification screen of the
traffic flow
monitoring application;
[0025] Figures 7A and 7B show a layout diagram and screen capture of a
traffic data
collection screen;
[0026] Figure 7C shows a basic flowchart of a traffic flow monitoring
application;
[0027] Figure 8 shows a conceptual diagram of the mapping of the data
collection keys
of the traffic data collection screen;
[0028] Figures 9A and 9B show a screen layout diagram, and a quadrant map
of a
pedestrian data collection screen;
[0029] Figure 9C shows a conceptual diagram of the mapping of the data
collection
keys of the pedestrian data collection screen; and
100301 Figures 10A to 10D show a quadrant map for each of the four
cardinal directions
for the pedestrian data collection screen.
Detailed Description of the Embodiment
[0031] While the Background of Invention described above has identified
particular
issues known in the prior art, the present invention provides, in part, a new
and useful
application for collecting and monitoring vehicle and pedestrian traffic
through an location
that extend beyond or used in addition to those prior art systems. A location
may be, but not
limited to, a tangent section of road, interchange, traffic circle, bridges,
cloverleaf, or
intersection having a stop sign or stop lights of various configurations. For
the purposes of
the embodiments described herein, a location will be described with reference
to an
"intersection." The inventor contemplates that the techniques could equally
apply to other
types of locations.
[0032] FIG. 1 demonstrates a high-level hardware architecture 100 of the
present
embodiment. A user interacts with a portable device 104 such as a smartphone,
a tablet
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computer, or some other similar device. The portable device is in wireless
communication
with a wireless access point 110 using any number of different wireless
protocols such as
3G, 4G, LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth or other wireless communication channels known
in the
art. The wireless access point 110 allows the portable devices 104 to
communicate over the
Internet 150 with an offsite server 120.
[0033] The components of an exemplary portable device 200 are further
disclosed in
FIG. 2 having a processor 202 executing instructions from computer-readable
medium 204
such as volatile and/or non-volatile memory and storing data thereto. The
portable device
200 may have a number of human-computer interfaces such as a keypad or touch
screen
206, a camera 208, a speaker or headphones 210, a GPS/Orientation Sensor 218,
a display
212, and/or a printer 216. The portable device 200 has a battery 214 supplying
power to all
the hardware components within the device. The battery 214 may be charged
using wired or
wireless charging. Alternatively, the portable device 200 may be supplied by
wired power
using a 110V AC/DC power adaptor.
[0034] The portable device 200 may have a touch screen 206 aligned with the
display
212 to enable input by the user directly on the display 212. The touch screen
206 may be
any type of touch technology such as analog resistive, capacitive, projected
capacitive,
ultrasonic, infrared grid, camera-based (across touch surface, at the touch
surface, away
from the display, etc), in-cell optical, in-cell capacitive, in-cell
resistive, electromagnetic,
time-of-flight, frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR), diffused surface
illumination,
surface acoustic wave, bending wave touch, acoustic pulse recognition, force-
sensing touch
technology, or any other touch technology known in the art. The touch screen
206 could be
a single touch or multi-touch screen.
100351 The display 212 is typically small-sized between the range of 2.5
inches to 17
inches on the diagonal to enable portability and has a resolution high enough
to ensure
readability of the display 212 at in-use distances. The display 212 may be a
pixel display of
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any type, plasma, e-Ink , projected, light emitting diode (LED), liquid
crystal display
(LCD) or any other display technology known in the art. The display 212 is
typically sized
to be approximately the same size as the touch screen 206. The user controls
the information
displayed on the display 212 using either the touch screen 206 or optionally
using a
keyboard.
[0036] The portable device 200 has a network transceiver 220 coupled to
an antenna
240 for the processor to communicate with the wireless access point 110. For
example, the
portable device 200 may have a WiFi /Bluetooth transceiver 220 and antenna
240; and/or
a cellular transceiver 220 and antenna 240. The portable device 200 optionally
also may
have a wired interface 230 such as USB or Ethernet connection generally used
for mass data
transfers from the internal computer-readable medium 204.
[00371 Using these hardware components of the portable device 200, the
user may
download applications over the Internet from the server 120. The applications
may be
installed in the non-volatile memory 204 (or external memory such as a USB
key, SD card
or other portable memory) of the portable device 200 and executed by the
processor 202.
The applications (or a portion thereof) may be displayed on the display 212 or
executed in
the background. The applications may also communicate over the Internet 150 to
the server
120 using the transceiver 220 and antenna 240. One such application may be a
traffic
monitoring application as described further herein.
[0038] The components of the server 120 of the present embodiment are shown
in FIG.
3. The server 120 has a processor 302 executing instructions from volatile
and/or non-
volatile memory 304 and storing data thereto. The server 120 may or may not
have a
keyboard 306, speaker 310, display 312 and/or printer 316. If the server 120
lacks these
interfaces, the administrator would login to the server remotely and the
server 120 would
provide these interfaces to the administrator over the network 150. The server
120
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communicates over the Internet 150 using the wired network adapter 324, such
as an
Ethernet adapter, to exchange information with the portable device 200.
[0039] A traffic data collecting application facilitates the recording,
storage and
transmission of traffic information comprising both the volume and
classification of
vehicular traffic flow and the volume and classification of pedestrian traffic
flow through a
given set of coordinates in a given time period.
[0040] The Login Screen 400 shown in FIG. 4 is the initial startup screen
for the traffic
data collecting application and initiates the process of securely logging into
the application
in one of two Login Modes: User and Administrator. The User Login allows the
user to gain
access to the Data Collecting Process while the Administrator Login gives a
verified
Administrator the ability to login locally or via a remote session to perform
any
Administrative Functions on the portable device 200. The Login Screen 400
initializes with
the default User Login prompt 402 displayed that accepts a user identifier
(ID) 404 and
password 406. Each user may be given a unique User ID and Password which may
be
contained in a preprogrammed database either internal to the portable device
200 or on the
offsitc server 120. Approximately half of the screen is an on-screen keyboard
(OSK) 440
and status bar 442. The OSK 440 may optionally be hidden from view until the
user has
tapped in either the user ID field 402 or the password field 406.
100411 The user enters their User ID and Password into the provided
fields 404 and 406
using the OSK 440. The application validates the user login data against a
list of authorized
users and passwords in the preprogrammed database. If the User ID and Password
matches
the Home Screen 500 (discussed further below with reference to FIGS. 5A and
5B) is
displayed. If the user login data does not match any entries in the
preprogrammed database,
the application clears the input fields and screen displays an error message
such as "Error!
You have entered and invalid User ID or Password. Please try again or EXIT."
The user
repeats the login process until their User ID and Password matches or they
choose to Exit
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the application. Optionally, after a certain number of tries, the application
locks the device
and prohibits further access until it has been released by an Administrator or
after a
predetermined period of time has passed.
[0042] When the Admin Button 410 is selected the application calls an
Admin Logon
Screen similar to the User Login screen 400. The Administrators may be given a
unique
Administrator ID and Password which may be contained in the preprogrammed
database.
The Admin Login allows the Administrator's access to the maintenance functions
of the
application. These functions include, but are not be limited to, such
procedures as uploading
preconfigured database information, changing of Administrator identifiers,
User identifiers
and Passwords and Job Information specifications. It also allows the
Administrator to
download, modify or delete any database information along with performing
backups and
remote retrieval of data. The Administrator may also disable features such as
the counter
"reset" function. When disabled, the counters increase incrementally until the
application
closes. The Administrator may also enable or disable error monitoring for
debugging
purposes. The Backup Function and Send Data Function used in the Admin
Function may
also be incorporated into Backup and Send Data Functions called by the buttons
on the
Home Screen. The Admin Function may also have a feature that permits the
Administrators
to initiate the application and operate it as a user. In an alternative
embodiment, the
Administrator logs in using the User Login usemame field 404 and password
field 406 and
the Admin button 401 is not present.
[0043] Both the User and Admin Login screens 400 have a clock section 420
that
displays the current date and time as well as the corporate logo.
100441 When the Exit button 430 is pressed, an Exit dialog is displayed
with a message
such as "Are you sure?" with "Yes" and "No" as options. All other inputs are
prohibited
while Exit dialog is displayed until the Yes or No buttons have been selected.
When "Yes"
is pressed the application closes and returns to the operating system running
on the portable
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device 200. Or optionally, the portable device 200 powers off. The Exit Button
430 may be
available to the user at any time during the operation of the application.
When "No" is
pressed, the application returns to the previous screen state. Alternatively,
the Home button
432 may be used to exit the application.
[0045] After successful user login the application displays the Home Screen
500 shown
in FIGS. 5A and 5B. The Home Screen may initialize with a default of no job
settings. The
Home Screen 500 permits the user to input Job Information and Conditions. The
Home
Screen 500 is broken into several different regions: Job Information 502;
Select North 504;
Select Mode 506; Select Road Conditions 508; Select Weather Condition 510; Job
Extras
512; Data transmission 514; Verification and Start 516; and Resume Count
button 518 and
Exit button 430. Approximately half of the display may be an OSK 440.
[0046] The Job Information 502 region permits entry of information
specific to the
particular job the user is about to perform. The fields are Counter ID 520,
Reference
Number 522, Latitude/Longitude 524, Location Description 526, Legal
Description 528,
and the names of the streets at the intersection for the North Leg 530, East
Leg 532, South
Leg 534, and West Leg 536. The cursor may initially be positioned in the
Counter ID field
520 or alternatively a search field (not shown). The user can begin the
process of inputting
the Job Information 502, which may be recorded to a new unique ID or as a
record in a pre-
existing database. At any time during the entry of the Job Information 502,
the user may
select any input field and re-enter data. When any of the fields in the Job
Information 502
region are selected, other information inputs are locked with exception of
Resume Count
518, if available, and Exit 430.
[0047] Once the data has been entered by the user, a Job Information
Function
facilitates recording of the alpha-numeric data into the database. When
completed the Job
Information Function unlocks the other information inputs and remains
available in case the
user needs to re-enter data into the Job Information 502 section. If user
selects any of the
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=
fields in the Job Infonnation 502 section the application calls the Job
Information Function
again. All unmodified information contained in the Job Information 502 fields
remains the
same.
[0048] Alternatively, the Job Information function may load the Job
Information 502
from a preexisting database. The database may be preprogrammed with some or
all of the
Job Information 502 parameters such as a Counter ID 520, Reference Number 522,
Latitude/Longitude 524, Location Description 526 and Legal Description 528.
The data
posted to these fields may be triggered by the user's input of a preexisting
reference number
into the Reference Number 522 textbox and based on the availability of data in
the database
corresponding to the other fields. The Job Information 502 region may also
have a search
field (not shown) that permits the user to search a job database (stored
locally on the tablet
104 or remotely on the server 120) for a particular job. Alternatively or in
addition to the
search field, one or more of the fields may also have a spinner button 580
that allow for
quick population of the field with previously entered data. On selection of
the spinner button
580, a list of recently entered or recently selected data is displayed whereby
the user may
select a radio button to populate the associated field with the data. If any
or all of the
database fields contain no data then the Job Information Function records the
inputted data
input by the user and then positions the cursor in the first empty field to
await further input.
100491 The fields of the Job Information 502 region is as follows:
[0050] Counter ID 520 corresponds to the user id of the person who is
currently taking
the data. The Counter ID 520 field allows input of text or numbers into the
text input Field
ID:CounterID. The data entered in this field is stored in the database Field
ID:CounterID.
This field may be automatically retrieved from the User ID 404 entered by the
user during
login.
[0051] Reference Number 522 corresponds to the reference number for the
traffic study.
The Reference Number 422 textbox allows input of numbers into the masked text
Field
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ID:Reference. The data entered in this field triggers a query for data stored
in the database
using the Field ID:Reference. If the input matches an existing entry in the
database Field
ID:Reference then the application attempts to populate the Latitude/Longitude
524, Location
Description 526 and Legal Description 528 textboxes using the data from their
corresponding database fields. The data entered in this field is stored in the
database Field
ID:Reference.
100521 Latitude / Longitude 524 corresponds to the GPS coordinates for
the intersection
being studied. The Latitude / Longitude fields allow the input of numeric data
into the
masked text input Field ID:Latitude / Field ID:Longitude. The data entered in
this field is
stored in the database Field ID:Latitude / Field ID:Longitude. Optionally, the
Latitude/Longitude 524 may be retrieved from the GPS/Orientation Sensor 218 of
the
portable device 200. The UPS coordinates may be determined at the beginning of
the traffic
study, time stamped and attached to the database enabling verification that
the traffic study
was conducted at the correct location and started on time improving the
accuracy of the data
collection.
100531 Location Description 526 corresponds to a human readable
description of the
intersection such as 18th and 108 Avenue, Westlock. The Location Description
526 field
allows the input of alphanumeric data into the masked text input Field
ID:Location. The data
entered in this field is stored in the database Field ID:Location.
100541 Legal Description 528 corresponds to the geographical location of
the traffic
study based on jurisdictions. Legal Land Descriptions are typically based on a
grid network
dividing the province or state into near equal-sized parcels of land known by
various names
such as, but not limited to, townships, sections, lots, metes and bounds,
aliquots. The legal
land description is a section of coordinates that help to locate a specific
ground location. An
example may be the Alberta Township Survey (ATS) System. Legal Description 528
field
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allows the input of alpha or numeric data into the masked text input Field
ID:Legal. The
data entered in this field is stored in the database Field ID:Legal.
[0055] North Leg 530 corresponds to a human readable description of the
north leg of
the intersection such as "North Leg ¨ TWP RD 102". The North Leg 530 field
allows the
input of numeric data into the masked text input Field ID:NorthLeg. The data
entered in this
field is stored in the database Field ID:NorthLeg.
[0056] East Leg 532 corresponds to a human readable description of the
east leg of the
intersection such as "East Leg ¨ HWY 16". The East Leg 532 field allows the
input of alpha
or numeric data into the masked text input Field ID:EastLeg. The data entered
in this field is
.. stored in the database Field ID:EastLeg.
100571 South Leg 534 corresponds to a human readable description of the
south leg of
the intersection such as "South Leg ¨ TWP RD 102". The South Leg 534 field
allows the
input of alpha or numeric data into the masked text input Field ID:SouthLeg.
The data
entered in this field is stored in the database Field ID:SouthLeg.
[0058] West Leg 536 corresponds to a human readable description of the west
leg of the
intersection such as "West Leg ¨ HWY 16". The West Leg 536 field allows the
input of
alpha or numeric data into the masked text input Field 1D:WestLeg. The data
entered in this
field is stored in the database Field ID:WestLeg.
[0059] Once the Job Information 502 has been entered or retrieved, the
Counter ID 520
and/or Location Description 526 may be displayed next to the Clock 420.
Optionally, in
order to save screen space, one or more of the fields in the Job Information
502 region may
not be displayed such as for example, the Legal Description 526, and/or the
Cardinal Leg
fields 530, 532, 534, and 536.
[0060] The Select North 504 Orientation button sets the orientation of
North with
respect to the portable device 200. Since the user has no way of predicting
the exact position
where the traffic and pedestrian flows will be observed, the orientation of
North is used in
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order for the application to remap the Counting Keys or Data Collection
Buttons 716 and
916, as further described below, according to the selected North orientation.
By default all
the Counting Keys 716 and 916 have an orientation of North Up on the portable
device 200
since the application has a default landscape orientation which does not
rotate. This
.. remapping improves usability and reduces data input errors when recording
the traffic flow
while ensuring that the data is automatically recorded into the correct
database fields. How
each selection of North in this section effects the Traffic counting keys 716
and Pedestrian
counting keys 916 as further detailed below with reference to FIGS. 7A tol OD
in the
sections containing the Traffic screen 700 and Pedestrian screen 900. Although
the user may
manually set the orientation of North, alternatively, the application may read
the orientation
from the GPS/Orientation sensor 218 and automatically select the proper
orientation of
North. The selection may be precise or may use a threshold to detennine when
remapping
should occur. For example, if North is within 15-degrees of "East" on the
portable device
200, then North may be remapped to "East" on the portable device 200 (and all
other
corresponding directions remapped accordingly). The orientation may be set
during a
calibration period where the user is asked to hold the portable device 200 in
a steady
position. After calibration, the orientation is fixed until another
calibration is required by the
user. This prevents inadvertent orientation changes while the user is
operating the portable
device 200. When the selection is made, either automatically or by user input,
the North
Orientation is recorded to the database Field ID:SelectNorth.
100611 Select Mode 506 region contains two buttons Field Study 538 and
Video Study
540. The application has the ability to operate in two modes: a Field Study
Mode and Video
Study Mode, Video Study Mode is used when the user observes pre-recorded video
in order
to determine the traffic flow. The pre-recorded video may be played on another
computer
system, VCR, DVD, in a small window on the portable device 200 or other video
display
devices known in the art. Furthermore, the pre-recorded video may be streamed
from the
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portable device 200 to an external display over the wireless network or may be
streamed
from the server 120 at the request of the application executing on the
portable device 200. In
one example, only a single button for the Field Study 538 and Video Study 540
is presented
in a toggle fashion.
[0062] In Video Study mode 540, the user may manually enter the start date
and time of
the actual start time and date of the video or the start date and time may be
retrieved from
the metadata of the video file or stream. Pausing the video may automatically
stop the clock
420 on the portable device 200 from counting. Stopping the clock 420 on the
portable
device 200 may stop the streaming or playback of the video on the external
device. In Field
Study Mode 538, the user is observing a live stream of video or may be on-site
observing
traffic. In this mode, the date and time are retrieved from the clock 420 in
the portable
device 200.
[0063] Select Road Conditions 508 allows the user to enter the road
conditions which
are recorded in the database. In this embodiment, the initial road conditions
may be selected
from Bare 542, Snow Covered 544, Wet 546, Sanded 548, Icy 550, and Plowed 552
although other conditions may be specified as is know in the art. Optionally,
the road
conditions may be automatically retrieved over the Internet 150 from a weather
forecasting
website or from the Department of Highways vvebsite. In an alternative
example, a single
Road Conditions button may be displayed whereby selecting the button may
display all of
the road condition buttons as described above.
100641 Select Weather Condition 510 allows the user to enter the initial
weather
conditions. In this embodiment, the initial weather conditions may be selected
from Sunny
554, Partly Cloudy 556, Overcast 558, Rain 560, Rain & Snow 562, or Snow 564
although
other conditions may be specified as is known in the art. Optionally, the
weather conditions
may be retrieved automatically over the Internet 150 from a weather
forecasting service
such as AccuWeather , The Weather Network , etc. In an alternative example, a
single
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Weather Conditions button may be displayed whereby selecting the button may
display all
of the weather condition buttons as described above.
[0065] Job Extras 512 allows the user to take site photographs 566 and
make comments
568 on the study. These photographs and notes are linked to the Job
Information 502 and
stored in the database. The Site Photos Function is an optional feature and
uses the camera
208 of the portable device 200 to take photos of the job site and store the
photographic data
to a media folder created by application. When the Photo button 566 is pressed
the
application calls the Photo Function of the portable device 200. The photo
interface used by
the application is typically the one normally used by the operating system of
portable device
200. The application then links the media folder to the current working or
saved database.
The Site Photos Function posts the Date and Time the photographs were taken to
the
database Field 1D:Photos. If there are no current photos in the job's database
when the
Verification or Validation Screen 600 is called, the Site Photograph 566
button is displayed
in its "Off" state and the Display Field ID:Photos is blank.
[0066] The Comments 568 Function allows the user to document any
particulars about
the current job site. The comments are written to a text file and then stored
in memory 204
to a media folder created by application. The present embodiment proposes a
maximum of
512 characters for comments. The file or folder created is then be linked to
the current
working or saved database. The Comments 568 Function posts the Date and Time
of the
comments to the database Field ID:Comments. This function is available to the
user on the
Home Screen 500, Validation Screen 600, Traffic Data Collection Screens 700
and
Pedestrian Data Collection Screens 900 ensuring comments may be made at any
time. If the
Comments 568 Function is canceled the application returns to the last
completed and saved
state. Alternatively, the comments may be stored directly to the database
without using a
text file.
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100671 The Data transmission 514 section has two buttons: the Backup
Button 570 and
the Send Data 572 buttons. The Backup Button 570 allows the user to manually
call the
Backup Function. The Backup Function, when activated by the Backup Button 570,
contains a routine that saves data (such as the database, the comments and the
photographs)
to a backup partition, SD Card or an external device such as an attached USB
Hard Drive.
The Backup Function may also be called automatically at a predetermined time
such as
every 5 or 15 minutes in order to retain the current state of the application
should the
application or portable device 200 fail during operation. Alternatively, the
data may be
written to the onboard database in real-time so that should the portable
device 200 fail, the
data would be present within the database file in the memory 204 of the
portable device 200.
100681 The Send Data Button 572, when manually selected by the user,
calls the Send
Data Function. If there is no current database available the Send Data Button
572 is
displayed in its "Oft" state. If there is a current database the Send Data
Button 572 is
displayed in its "On" state. The Send Data Function may be called manually
from the Home
Screen 500 and the Validation Screen 600. The Send Data Function contains a
routine that
transmits the data saved to a backup partition, SD Card or an external device
such as an
attached USB Hard Drive to be transmitted to an offsite server 120. The Send
Data Function
accesses the saved jobs and transmits the database, site photos and comments
to the offsite
server 120. It also may run a verification routine to ensure that the data has
been transmitted
and received by verifying a hash or other code generated from the data. The
Send Function
prompts the user to select and delete from the backup partition, SD Card, or
external device
any completed Traffic database that has been flagged as successfully being
transmitted
and/or backed up. The Send Data Function may also be called automatically at a
predetermined time such as every 5 or 15 minutes in order to retain the
current state of the
application on the offsite server 120 should the application or portable
device 200 fail during
operation. This predetermined time may be the same or different than for the
Backup
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function and a suitable time would typically be determined based on battery
life of the
portable device 200 and expense of transmitting information over the
communication
channel to the wireless access point 110.
100691 Similar to the Login Screen 400, the Home Screen 500 has an Exit
button 430
which operates as previously described. The Home Screen 500 also has a clock
section 420
that displays the current date and time as well as the corporate logo. Next to
the clock
section 420 is the Counter ID 520 and/or Location Description 526.
[0070] The Resume Count button 518 is displayed on the Home Screen 500
and is
inactive (or alternatively hidden) unless the user had been previously working
on a database.
The Resume Count button 518 is intended to allow the user to quickly pick up
the study at a
point where they left off. For example, if the user must quit for the day,
then the following
day, the user does not wish to re-type all the Job Information 502. When the
Resume Count
button 518 is pressed the screen dims and displays the Resume Count prompt
such as: "You
have chosen to resume your last count. Are you sure? Yes or No." All other
inputs are
locked until the Resume Count prompt has been confirmed or canceled. If "Yes"
is pressed
the Resume Count Function loads the last settings saved when the application
was exited.
When the Resume Count Function is used and the Validation Screen 600 process
is
complete, the application displays the Traffic Data Collection Screen 700. The
Traffic
Counting Function zeros out the Counting Key Volumes and any Counting Key
Modifiers
(as well as previous orientation) from the previous job are reapplied.
100711 If "No" is pressed the Resume Count Function closes and places the
cursor in
Field ID:CounterID and waits for input. The Resume Count Function remains
active and
available until the user begins input into different Job Information 502 at
which time the
Resume Count button 518 is disabled or disappears from the screen causing the
Resume
.. Count Function to be no longer be available. The function and Resume Count
button 518 is
enabled again upon exiting and restarting the application.
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=
[0072] The Verify and Start Counting button 516 calls the Validation
Function that
evaluates all the fields of the Job Information 502 to ensure accuracy and
also verifies that
Select North 504, Study Mode 506, Road Conditions 508, and Weather Conditions
510 have
been selected. The Validation Screen 600 allows for user input into the
database but is
meant to act as a last check for entry errors and omissions. If any of the
information is
inaccurate or incomplete, a dialog is presented to the user indicating the
deficient selection.
When the Verify and Start Counting button 516 is pressed on the Home Screen
500 and all
fields are accurate, all fields are saved and the Validation Screen 600 is
displayed.
[0073] The Validation Screen 600 contains all the Job Information
502 from the Horne
Screen 500 for review by the user to ensure accuracy. The details of which
were described
above and thus will not be discussed further here. If no site photographs or
comments have
been made, the corresponding buttons 566, 568 activate the comment or photo
capabilities
of the portable device 200 where the comments and photos are time stamped and
stored in
fields 608 and 614. A data status 602 region displays the information that was
entered on the
Home Screen 500 listing the Road Conditions 604, Weather Conditions 606, and
last
modified dates of Site Photos 608, Last Backup 610, Data Sent 612 (to offsite
server 120),
Comments 614, and when the Last Job 616 was made. The Mode Label Section 618
displays the current Mode in which the application is running to act as a
visual cue for the
user. The Compass 620 indicates the direction of North. If the data has not
been backed up,
the Backup Button 570 is enabled. If the Backup Button 570 is selected by the
user, the
Backup Function is called. Once completed, the Validation Screen 600 reappears
and
displays the Backup Button 570 in its default "Off" state. If the data has not
been sent to the
offsite server 120, the Send Data Button 572 is enabled. If the Send Data
Button 572 is
selected by the user, the Send Data Function is called. Once completed, the
Validation
Screen 600 reappears and displays the Send Data Button 572 in its default
"Off' state.
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100741 Once the user is satisfied with the state of the Validation Screen
600, the user
selects the Start Counting 622 button. The application then proceeds (S752) to
display the
Traffic Data Collection Screen 700 (S754).
[0075] The application displays the representation of an intersection or
other location
(S754) and places buttons (S756) as is further disclosed below. The Traffic
Data Collection
Screen 700 is divided into a number of sections: Clock 420; Job Information
702; Select
Road Conditions 704; Select Weather Conditions 706; Compass 708; Select
Pedestrian
Screen 709; Job Extras 710; Vehicle Classification 712; Key Counting Modifiers
714; and
Counting Keys or Buttons 716. In order to improve clarity of the figures, not
all of Counting
Keys 716 arc labeled individually. The Counting Keys 716 are placed proximal
to the
particular road with which they are associated. Field Mode study and Video
Mode study
present similar screens with similar functionality. One difference between the
two is a label
indicates the mode. Another difference is the Clock 720 displays the time of
the study which
may be the current time if it is a Field Mode study or it may display the time
of the video if
it is a Video Mode study. The Job Information 702 displays abbreviated
information from
the prior Job Information 502 screen. The Select Road Conditions 704, Select
Weather
Conditions 706, Compass 708, and Job Extras 710 are also as previously
described and
allow the user to update (along with time stamps) their information during the
traffic study
enabling tracking of the weather and road conditions throughout the day. In an
alternative
example, the Select Road Conditions 704, Select Weather Conditions 706, and
Job
Information 702 may not be displayed permitting the Counting Keys 716 to be
placed to
consume a large area of the display 212. The Select Pedestrian Button 709
changes the
display to the Pedestrian Screen 900 further discussed below with reference to
FIGS. 9A to
9C.
[0076] A Vehicle Classification legend 712 is shown that assigns a letter
to each type of
vehicle. For example, "A" correspond to passenger vehicles; "B" corresponds to
recreational
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vehicles; "C" corresponds to buses; "D" corresponds to single unit trucks; "E"
corresponds
to Tractor Trailer Combos; and "F" corresponds to other types of vehicles like
logging
trucks. The Vehicle Classification legend 712 informs the user of which type
of vehicle each
lettered button in the Counting Keys 716 area corresponds. The user may also
customize the
Vehicle Classification legend 712 to a user-defined category by enabling the
user to type a
category name such as, for example, A: passenger; B: Single unit truck;
C:Tractor Trailer;
D:Bicycle; or E: Motorbike. In one example, up to 13 classifications may be
entered in
addition to bicycles. In another example, there may be more than 30
classifications. When
there are large numbers of classifications, they may be shown as additional
layers of buttons.
The user may also be able to select a corresponding icon or image from a set
of
icons/images stored on the portable device 200.
100771 The Key Counting Modifiers 714 has five buttons: Multiplier Keys
(xl 718, x5
720; and x10 722), a Minus Key 732 and Reset Counter Keys 734. The Multiplier
Keys xl
718, x5 720 and x10 722 are used to set a default multiplier for each of the
Counting Keys
716. Any or all the counting keys are available to be multiplied by any of the
multiplier keys
at any time during the counting process. In an alternative example, a single
Modifier button
is presented whereby selection of the Modifier button opens an interface with
all the
Multiplier Keys 718, 720, 722, 732, and 734.
[0078] For example, when the user selects the x10 multiplier key 722 the
screen
displays a Multiplier prompt: "You are multiplying the count by x10. Please
select the
key(s) to be multiplied. When finished press Done or select another
multiplier." The user
then selects one or all the counting key(s) 716 to be multiplied by the chosen
multiplier
selection. The multiplier allows the user to choose any other multiplier key
during the
process. The selection of a new multiplier value changes the "count by x#"
displayed in the
Multiplier prompt to the new multiplier selection and the new multiplier value
is
subsequently applied to any of the counting keys 716 selected after the change
even if they
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have been programmed with a previous multiplier value. As each counting key
716 is
pressed during the multiplier process the screen changes the affected counting
key's display
to show a green border or band surrounding the key indicating to the user that
the key is in a
multiplier mode. Alternatively, a small number indicating the multiplier in
effect may be
added to the counting key 716 such as lx, 5x, or 10x. Any or all of the
counting keys 716
are available to be multiplied by any of the multiplier numbers at any time
during the
counting process to facilitate easily changing of the multipliers in case of a
significant
increase or decrease in traffic flow from a particular direction. When "Done"
is selected
from the Multiplier prompt the prompt disappears from the Traffic Data
Collection Screen
.. 700 and the Traffic counting keys 716 are ready to input their new counting
values into the
corresponding database fields.
100791 Similarly, when the user selects the x5 multiplier key 720, the
screen 700
displays a Multiplier prompt: "You are multiplying the count by x5. Please
select the key(s)
to be multiplied. When finished press Done or select another multiplier." The
user then
selects one or all the counting key(s) 716 to be multiplied by the chosen
multiplier selection.
The multiplier allows the user to choose any other multiplier key during the
process. The
selection of a new multiplier value changes the "count by X4" displayed in the
Multiplier
prompt to the new multiplier selection and the new multiplier value is
subsequently applied
to any of the counting keys 716 selected after the change even if they have
been
programmed with a previous multiplier value. As each counting key 716 is
pressed during
the multiplier process the screen changes the affected counting key's display
to show a blue
band surrounding the key indicating to the user that the key 716 is in a x5
multiplier mode.
Alternatively, a small number indicating the multiplier in effect may be added
to the
counting key 716 such as lx, 5x, or 10x. Any or all the counting keys 716 are
available to be
multiplied by any of the multiplier numbers at any time during the traffic
data collection
process. When "Done" is selected from the Multiplier prompt the prompt
disappears from
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the Traffic Data Collection Screen 700 and the Traffic counting keys 716 are
ready to input
their new counting values into their corresponding database fields.
100801 When the user selects the xl multiplier key 718, the screen 700
displays a
Multiplier prompt: "You are multiplying the count by Xl. Please select the
key(s) to be
multiplied. When finished press Done or select another multiplier." The user
then selects
one or all the counting key(s) to be multiplied by the chosen multiplier
selection. The
multiplier allows the user to choose any other multiplier key during the
process. The
selection of a new multiplier value changes the "count by x#" displayed in the
Multiplier
prompt to the new multiplier selection and the new multiplier value is
subsequently applied
to any of the counting keys 716 selected after the change even if they have
been
programmed with a previous multiplier value. As each counting key is pressed
during the
multiplier process the screen changes the affected counting key's 716 display
to show no
band in indicating to the user that the counting key 716 is in xl multiplier
mode.
Alternatively, a small number indicating the multiplier in effect may be added
to the
counting key 716 such as lx, 5x, or 10x. Any or all the counting keys 716 are
available to be
multiplied by any of the multiplier numbers at any time during the traffic
data collection
process. When "Done" is selected from the Multiplier Prompt the prompt will
disappear, the
Multiplier Buttons will return to their "Oft" state appearance and the Traffic
Counting keys
716 are ready to input their new Key Counting values into their corresponding
database
fields.
100811 The xl Multiplier Key 718 is available as a multiplier is used to
facilitate
returning counting keys 716 to the default value of 1. As an example, the user
has
mistakenly multiplied an F-Class Counting Key 716 by x10, they can use the xl
to quickly
reset this one counting key to its default value of 1 without have to reset
all the counting key
values.
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[00821 The Minus Button 732, when selected, calls a Subtract Function
that decrements
an amount from a Traffic Counting Key 716 permitting the user to correct any
Traffic
Counting Key's 716 current volume totals in the database. The user has two
options to
subtract counting errors from the database. The first option is where the user
may select one
Traffic Counting Key 716 and the Subtract Function decrements one from the
Current Key
Volume 730 and the Key Volume Total (not shown). When the Subtract Function is
complete the Minus Prompt clears from the screen and the application returns
to its last
state. The second option is where the user may select a Multiplier Key 718 to
enable the
Multiplier Function to subtract multiple errors from the database. When the
user has finished
programming the Traffic Counting Keys 716 to be subtracted and presses "Done"
in the
Multiplier Prompt the Subtract Function deletes the programmed Traffic
Counting Keys 716
Current Volumes and the Keys Volume Totals. When the Subtract Function is
complete the
Minus Prompt and Multiplier Prompt clears from the screen and the application
returns to its
last state
100831 When pressed the Minus Button 732 displays a Subtract Prompt: "You
have
chosen to Subtract from a Counting Key 716. Press the Counting Key 716 to be
subtracted
or choose the multiplier for subtracting a different amount." The Minus Button
732 defaults
to subtracting 1 from the value of the Counting Key 716. If no multiplier key
718, 720, 722
has been selected, once a Traffic Counting Key 716 has been pressed, the
Subtract Function
.. exits. The whole process needs to be restarted in order to subtract any
further Key Counting
Volumes. If the user selects "Cancer from the Minus Prompt the application
returns to its
last state.
100841 When a Multiplier Key (xl 718, x5 720; and x10 722) is selected
following the
Minus Button 732, the Traffic Counting Key 716 has the multiplied amount
subtracted from
the selected Traffic Counting Key 716. If the user selects a Multiplier Key
718, 720, 722, a
prompt is displayed for multipliers and then the user selects the associated
Traffic Counting
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Key 716 or Keys. Once the Traffic Counting Key(s) 716 have been selected and
the user
presses the Multipliers Prompt "Done", the Subtract Function decrements the
multiplier
amount from the selected Current Key Volume 730 and the Keys Volume Total (not
shown)
and turn off the Subtract Function. The whole process would need to be
restarted in order to
subtract any further Current Key Volumes 730.
[0085] The Reset Counter Keys 734 is selected, all of the Key Counting
Modifiers
applied to the Traffic Counting Keys 716 are reset back to the default count
value of 1.
When the Reset Counter Keys Button 734 is pressed the screen 700 displays the
Reset
Prompt: "You have chosen to Reset ALL your Counting Key(s) to their Default
Value of
ONE. Are you Sure? Yes or No." If the user selects "Yes", the Reset Counter
Keys Function
resets all of the Traffic Counting Key(s) values to their Default Count Value
of 1 and the
screen 700 displays the Traffic Counting Key(s) 716 in their "Off' state. If
the user selects
"No" the prompt closes and the application returns to the last state it was in
prior to the
Reset Counter Keys Function being called.
[0086] In the present embodiment, the Traffic Data Collection Screen 700
contains a
total of 76 Traffic Counting Keys 716 to record vehicle traffic flow to a
database. Each of
the Counting Keys 716 may be modified using the aforementioned Key Counting
Modifiers
718, 720, 722. When the Counting Function is active, each Counting Key 716
struck is
recorded to a counter as a Current Key Volume 730 and uses the date and time
displayed on
the Clock 420 to generate a Time Stamp for the entries (S760). One set of
buttons
corresponds to a left turn 724, another set to a right turn 726, and another
set to a straight
728 motion through the intersection. Each of the set of buttons has one key
for each type of
vehicle shown in the Vehicle Classification legend 712. When the user observes
the
particular type of vehicle travelling through the intersection, the user
contacts the touch
screen 206 in the appropriate button area. This contact applies the
preselected multiplier
(S762) and increments the counter for that particular button (S764). In Field
Mode, the
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Clock 420 value is the current time and date. In Video Mode, the Clock 420
value will be
the recorded time and date of the video. Each of the Counting Keys 716 has a
counter
display field on it showing the Current Key Volume 730 for the key which is
updated after
contact with the button (S780). This counter display 730 gives the user
progress feedback
and allow for visual error checking. As well as visual feedback, the
application may provide
audio feedback to the user in the form of an audible "click" when a Counting
Key 716 has
been pressed. Alternatively, a different audible sound may be made when a
multiplier is
used or the audible sound may be the sound emitted by the corresponding
vehicle.
[0087] In use, the application divides the study period into 15 minute
slices of time. At
the end of each slice of time (S770), all the counts 730 on each of the
Counting Keys 716
are recorded to the database with a time code (S772) and the Current Key
Volume is zeroed
for each of the Counting Keys 716 (S774) and the display is updated (S780).
The process
generally returns to S766 in an infinite loop until the user terminates it.
Alternative
embodiments may use slices of greater or less time, such as 5 minute
increments, depending
on how much traffic runs through the intersection during the study period and
the desired
resolution of the data. Traffic studies typically occur over a 12 hour period
from 7am to 7pm
but is dependent on the jurisdiction but some studies may only collect data at
peak times of
7:30-9:30am and 4:00-6:00pm.
[00881 In the present embodiment, the Traffic Counting Keys 716 are
divided into four
quadrants generally referred to as Quadrant #1 (North), Quadrant #2 (East),
Quadrant #3
(West), and Quadrant #4 (South) abbreviated herein as Q1 (N), Q2 (E), Q3 (W),
Q4 (S)
respectively. Each of the keys have been assigned a unique key identifier and
unique display
field identifier used to show the individual key's accumulated count while
counting. Q1 N
appears in the top portion of the display as the application, in this
embodiment, may not be
rotated. When the user is facing North, no remapping of the keys is necessary.
However,
when another north orientation is selected from the Select North 504 or 705,
the Traffic
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Counting Keys 716 are remapped (S757 and S758) as demonstrated in FIGS. 8 to
facilitate
the recording of the counting data into their correct fields in the database
while maintaining
ease of use by the user. Optionally, if the orientation changes (S766) during
the traffic study,
the buttons are remapped to the appropriate counters (S768).
[0089] When the user is facing West (e.g. North is in the user's Right
direction, known
as RightNorth in FIG. 8):
[0090] The Traffic Keys 716 in Quadrant #2 (E) are remapped to input the
data as if
were inputted from the Traffic Key Numbers 716 in Quadrant #1(N). The Traffic
Key
Numbers 716 in Quadrant #3 (W) are remapped to input the data as if were
inputted from
the Traffic Key Numbers 716 in Quadrant #4 (S). The Traffic Key Numbers 716 in
Quadrant #4 (S) are remapped to input the data as if were inputted from the
Traffic Key
Numbers 716 in Quadrant #2 (E). The Traffic Key Numbers 716 in Quadrant #1 (N)
are
remapped to input the data as if were inputted from the Traffic Key Numbers
716 in
Quadrant #3 (S).
[0091] When the user is facing South (e.g. North is behind the user, known
as
BottomNorth in FIG. 8):
100921 The Traffic Key Numbers 716 in Quadrant #4 (S) are remapped to
input the data
as if were inputted from the Traffic Key Numbers 716 in Quadrant #1 (N). The
Traffic Key
Numbers 716 in Quadrant #3 (W) are remapped to input the data as if were
inputted from
the Traffic Key Numbers 716 in Quadrant #2 (E). The Traffic Key Numbers 716 in
Quadrant #1 (N) arc remapped to input the data as if were inputted from the
Traffic Key
Numbers 716 in Quadrant #4 (S). The Traffic Key Numbers 716 in Quadrant #2 (E)
are
remapped to input the data as if were inputted from the Traffic Key Numbers
716 in
Quadrant #3 (W).
[0093] When the user is facing East, (e.g. North is in the user's Left
direction, known as
LeftNorth in FIG. 8):
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[0094] The Traffic Key Numbers 716 in Quadrant #3 (W) are remapped to
input the
data as if were inputted from the Traffic Key Numbers 716 in Quadrant #1(N).
The Traffic
Key Numbers 716 in Quadrant #1(N) are remapped to input the data as if were
inputted
from the Traffic Key Numbers 716 in Quadrant #2 (E). The Traffic Key Numbers
716 in
Quadrant #2 (E) are remapped to input the data as if were inputted from the
Traffic Key
Numbers 716 in Quadrant #4 (S). The Traffic Key Numbers 716 in Quadrant #4 (S)
are
remapped to input the data as if were inputted from the Traffic Key Numbers
716 in
Quadrant #3 (W).
[0095] When the Select Pedestrian Screen button 709 is selected by the
user, the
application saves all current Traffic Data Collection Settings and remains
running in the
background to facilitate a return, without interruption, to the Traffic Data
Collection Screen
700 for resumption of vehicle counting. The portable device 200 saves all the
information
and state for the Traffic Screen 700 and displays the Pedestrian Screen 900 as
shown in
FIGS. 9A to 9C. The Pedestrian Data Collection Screen is called from the
Pedestrian Button
709 on the Traffic Data Collection Screen 700 due to the fact vehicle Traffic
Data
Collection is more frequently accessed by the user of the application.
Alternatives may have
the Pedestrian Data Collection Screen 900 accessible from other screens.
[0096] The Pedestrian Data Collection Screen 900 is divided into a number
of sections:
Clock 420; Job Information 902; Select Road Conditions 904; Select Weather
Conditions
906; Compass 908; Select Traffic Screen 909; Job Extras 910; Key Counting
Modifiers 914;
and Counting Keys 916. The Clock 420; Job Information 902; Select Road
Conditions 904;
Select Weather Conditions 906; Compass 908; Job Extras 910; and Key Counting
Modifiers
914 are the same as described for the Traffic Screen 700 and thus are not be
further
described with reference to the Pedestrian Data Collection Screen 900. In an
alternative
example, the Job Information 902, Select Road Conditions 904 and Select
Weather
Conditions 906 may be shown as a single button that opens the respective
panels with all of
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the associated options. The Select Traffic Screen button 909 changes the view
back to the
Traffic Screen 700. When the Select Traffic Screen button 909 is pressed the
application
saves all current Pedestrian Count Settings and Traffic Counting Screen 700 is
displayed.
The Pedestrian Counting Key Function remains running in the background to
facilitate a
return to the Pedestrian Data Collection Screen 900, without loss of
Pedestrian Key Count
Volumes and Key Count Volume Totals.
[0097] The Pedestrian Data Collection Screen 900 containing 48 Pedestrian
Counting
Keys 916. The Counting Keys 916 record pedestrian flows to a database with
each of the
Counting Keys 916 being modifiable using the Counting Modifier Keys 914 as
previously
described for the Traffic Screen 700. Again, to improve clarity of the
figures, each of the
Counting Keys 916 is not individually labeled. The layout of the Pedestrian
Counting Keys
916 is different than for the Traffic Counting Keys 716 due to pedestrians
being able to walk
towards the intersection on either side of the road. Similar to the Traffic
Counting Keys 716,
the Pedestrian Counting Keys 916 are divided into quadrants as shown in FIG.
9B. There
are four quadrants with each containing two sections A and B. The pedestrian
buttons are
divided into A and B as one section is corresponds to motion across the
roadway in one
direction (North-South) and the other corresponds to motion across the roadway
in the other
direction (East-West). The quadrants are labeled: Quadrant #1A (NorthWest),
Quadrant #1B
(NorthWest), Quadrant #2A (NorthEast), Quadrant #2B (NorthEast), Quadrant #3A
(SouthWest), Quadrant #3B (SouthWest) and Quadrant #4A (SouthEast), Quadrant
#4B
(SouthEast). The Field Labels used in the database use the following alpha
prefix: NW for
Counting Keys in Quadrant #1A and #1B; NE Counting Keys in Quadrant #2A and
#2B;
SW Counting Keys in Quadrant #3A and #3B; and SE Counting Keys in Quadrant #4A
and
#4B. In each of the quadrants, the keys 916 have been assigned a unique key ID
and unique
display field ID used to show the individual Key's Volume while counting.
Quadrants #1A
and 1B designated (NW) and Quadrants #2A and 2B designated (NE) are used as
the default
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north setting for the Pedestrian Counting 916 key map to record the counting
data. Similar to
the Traffic Data Collection Screen 700, these Quadrants always appear towards
the top of
the portable device 200 since the application, in this embodiment, is in a
landscape
orientation and cannot be rotated.
100981 The Pedestrian Counting Keys 916 have two categories: Pedestrians
930 and Jay
Walkers 932 that are further divided into Adult 934, School 936, and Pre-
School 938 aged
walkers. By dividing the walkers into these categories, the analysis may be
able to determine
when pedestrian walk signs should be more active or less active. For example,
if there are a
high number of jaywalkers, it may be advantageous to set the pedestrian walk
signs to be
more active during particular period in order to reduce the number of
jaywalkers and
improve safety. Similar to the Traffic Data Collection Screen 700, the study
period is
divided into 15 minute slices of time which may be varied depending on the
desired
resolution of data. For pedestrian traffic, intervals of 1 hour are typically
sufficient.
[0099] If the orientation of portable device 200 has a north orientation
different than
actual North, like the Traffic Data Collection Screen 700, the Pedestrian
Counting Keys 916
are remapped (S757 and S758) as shown more clearly with reference to FIG. 9C
and with
respect to FIGS. 10A to 10D. FIG. 10A demonstrates the quadrant layout when
North
matches the top edge of the portable device 200.
[001001 When the user is facing West (e.g. North is in the user's Right
direction, known
as RightNorth in FIG. 9C and shown in FIG. 10B):
101001 The Pedestrian Key Numbers 916 in Quadrant #2A and #2B (NE) are
remapped to
input the data and display the Current Key Volume 930 as if were inputted from
the
Pedestrian Key Numbers 916 in Quadrant #1A and #1B (NW). The Pedestrian Key
Numbers 916 in Quadrant #3A and #3B (SW) are remapped to input the data and
display
the Current Key Volume 930 as if were inputted from the Pedestrian Key Numbers
916 in
Quadrant #4A and #4B (SE). The Pedestrian Key Numbers in Quadrant #4A and #4B
(SE)
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are remapped to input the data and display the Current Key Volume 930 as if
were inputted
from the Pedestrian Key Numbers 916 in Quadrant #2A and #2B (NE). The
Pedestrian Key
Numbers 916 in Quadrant #1A and #1B (NW) are remapped to input the data and
display
the Current Key Volume 930 as if were inputted from the Pedestrian Key Numbers
916 in
.. Quadrant OA and #3B (SW).
101011 When the user is facing South (e.g. North is behind the user, known as
BottomNorth
in FIG. 9C and shown in FIG. 10C):
101021 The Pedestrian Key Numbers 916 in Quadrant #4A and #4B (SE) are
remapped to
input the data and display the Current Key Volume 930 as if were inputted from
the
Pedestrian Key Numbers 916 in Quadrant #1A and #1B (NW). The Pedestrian Key
Numbers 916 in Quadrant #3A and #3B (SW) are remapped to input the data and
display
the Current Key Volume 930 as if were inputted from the Pedestrian Key Numbers
916 in
Quadrant #2A and #2B (NE). The Pedestrian Key Numbers 916 in Quadrant #1A and
#1B
(NW) are remapped to input the data and display the Current Key Volume 930 as
if were
inputted from the Pedestrian Key Numbers 916 in Quadrant #4A and #4B (SE). The
Pedestrian Key Numbers 916 in Quadrant #2A and #2B (NE) are remapped to input
the data
and display the Current Key Volume 930 as if were inputted from the Pedestrian
Key
Numbers 916 in Quadrant #3A and #3B (SW).
[01031 When the user is facing East, (e.g. North is in the user's Left
direction, known as
.. LetINorth in FIG. 9C and shown in FIG. 10D):
101041 The Pedestrian Key Numbers 916 in Quadrant #3A and #3B (SW) are
remapped to
input the data and display the Current Key Volume 930 as if were inputted from
the
Pedestrian Key Numbers in Quadrant #1A and #1B (NW). The Pedestrian Key
Numbers
916 in Quadrant #1A and #1B (NW) are remapped to input the data and display
the Current
Key Volume 930 as if were inputted from the Pedestrian Key Numbers 916 in
Quadrant
#2A and #2B (NE). The Pedestrian Key Numbers 916 in Quadrant #2A and #2B (NE)
are
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remapped to input the data and display the Current Key Volume 930 as if were
inputted
from the Pedestrian Key Numbers 916 in Quadrant #4A and #4B (SE). The
Pedestrian Key
Numbers 916 in Quadrant #4A and #4B (SE) are remapped to input the data and
display the
Current Key Volume 930 as if were inputted from the Pedestrian Key Numbers in
Quadrant
#3A and #3B (SW).
[0105] Although the user interface described herein is a button-based user
interface, the
inventor contemplates other use models are possible such as wizard-based, menu-
based, or
command-line based.
[0106] Although the embodiments herein describe an application with a
traditional four
point intersection, the inventor contemplates intersections with less than a
four point
intersection such as a three way intersection or measuring the traffic along a
road. The
inventor also contemplates intersections with more than a four point
intersection, such as a
traffic circle, or intersections that may be commonly found in Boston,
Massachusetts that
were created prior to the invention of the automobile.
[0107] If the orientation of North changes during counting, an alternative
embodiment may
remap the Traffic and Pedestrian counting keys automatically (S766 and S768).
[0108] Alternatively the weather information can be automatically changed
during counting
at the intersection by periodically retrieving weather information from a
weather forecasting
service and updating the information in the database. The inventor
contemplates that such
automatic weather updating may be overridden by the user in the event that the
weather
information from the weather forecasting service is incorrect.
[0109] Although the application displays a simple 'fixed' intersection, the
inventor
contemplates displaying more complex intersections using an online mapping
service such
as Google Maps. The intersection may be displayed using the online mapping
service's
maps with the counting buttons overlaying the map proximate to the appropriate
area on the
map or alternatively within a threshold distance from the center of the
intersection. The map
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may automatically adjust the orientation using the GPS/Orientation sensor 218
of the
portable device 200. Alternatively, the orientation may be obtained from the
GPS/Orientation sensor 218 during a calibration period and subsequently fixed.
[0110] Although the application displays the Select Road Conditions 704,
Select Weather
Conditions 706, Compass 708, the inventor contemplates that one or all of
these sections of
the screen may be minimized in order to provide a larger area for the
intersection map. The
inventor also contemplates that these sections may be unnecessary if this data
is
automatically retrieved from online services and/or GPS/orientation data.
[0111] Although the present embodiment displays the Traffic Data Collection
700 and
Pedestrian Data Collection 900 screens separately, the inventor contemplates
that these
could be two different layers that may overlie the same map.
[0112] Although the Video Mode of the present embodiment is run in 'real-
time', the
inventor contemplates that the video may be run slower or faster than real-
time. Initiation of
this fast forward or slow motion modes may be initiated by the user using
buttons or may be
automatically determined based on the number of roads intersecting or the
number of
vehicles counted in the previous interval. For example, if the intersection is
very busy and/or
has many roads intersecting, it may be advantageous to slow the video down to
ensure
capture of accurate data. In another example, if the intersection is not very
busy and/or has
few roads intersecting, it may be advantageous to speed up the video to ensure
efficient use
of the user's time. Accordingly, the clock would present the time as
proceeding faster or
slower than normal. Alternatively, a speed indicator such as "1.5x" may be
displayed next to
the clock 420. The inventor contemplates that the user may override any
automatic
adjustment to the playback speed.
[0113] Although the present embodiments discloses buttons having a
predetermined
assignment, the inventor contemplates that the buttons may be user assignable
to different
vehicle classifications. For example, the user may assign buttons that are
lower in the
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alphabet (e.g. A, B, C, etc.) with higher probability vehicles for a
particular intersection.
This assignment may be performed by entering a configuration mode and
selecting a vehicle
type from a list of vehicles.
[0114] Although the buttons are labeled with alphabetic characters, the
inventor
contemplates that the counting buttons may alternately (or in addition) to the
alphabetic
character display an icon associated with the type of vehicle.
[0115] Although the present embodiment discloses using buttons in a series of
columns to
indicate a left, right, or straight motion for the type of vehicle, the
inventor contemplates that
the user may select from a single row (or column) of buttons and use a gesture
to drag the
button in order to indicate the path taken by the vehicle or pedestrian
through the
intersection. This is particularly advantageous when an intersection has many
roads
intersecting in non-perpendicular orientations where the vehicle has more
choices than right,
left and straight.
[0116] Although the present embodiment discloses remapping the counters to the
fields, the
inventor contemplates that the buttons may be remapped to different counters
in response to
an orientation change.
101171 In an alternative embodiment, the confirmation prompts asking the user
for
confirmation of an action may not be displayed.
[0118] The database as described herein may be a comma-separated value (CSV)
formatted
file, tab-separated value file, XML database, SQL database, Filemaker , Access
Database,
Oracle Database or any other type of database known to those of skill in the
art. In an
alternative, the portable device 200 may use a simple database and the offsite
server 120
may receive this simple database and incorporate it in a more complex
database.
[0119] Although the embodiments herein use the term "quadrant", the inventor
does not use
quadrant in a strictly mathematical sense (e.g. four regions). The inventor
contemplates that
with locations with different number of points will have more quadrants,
otherwise known
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mathematically as sections or arcs in between the roads that may be non-
perpendicular with
respect to each other.
[0120] Although the flowchart(s) described herein demonstrate a particular
program
architecture, this is not to be limiting and other programming paradigms are
possible such
as, but not limited to, event-driven programming, agent-oriented programming,
data-driven
programming, functional programming, logical programming, end-user
programming,
expression-oriented programming, semantic programming, object-oriented
programming,
state machines, etc.
[0121] Although the embodiments described herein have a processor 202 and 302
associated with the portable device 104 and server 120, the inventor
contemplates that other
processing structures may be used to implement the embodiments described, such
as multi-
core processors, multiple processors, distributed processing, cell-based
processing, cloud-
based processing, etc.
[0122] The above-described embodiments arc intended to be examples of the
present
invention and alterations and modifications may be effected thereto, by those
of skill in the
art, without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined
solely by the claims
appended hereto.
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